A R G E N T U M
by Ceruleans
Summary: A RWBY FanFiction. "Silver eyes...how pretty."
1. Chapter 1

"Silver eyes…how pretty."

A shiver runs up my spine causing me to grip my blades tighter. Despite defeating thousands of Grimm in my lifetime, nothing has caused me to feel this much…fear. I thought I was prepared. I thought I was invincible. Cockiness has wounded me terribly.

"I'm looking for a certain someone who has a gift that is dear to me. Perhaps you know this someone?"

Clenching my teeth, I shake my head. My hands were beginning to shake.

"Hmm…that's funny. I was positive you would have the answer!"

Sarcasm dripped from every word. I feel my body become rigid as a giggle follows unexpectedly. I had to get away. I had to get away NOW. Unfortunately she could tell what I was thinking.

"Don't."

I didn't obey. With all my might, I leap towards the ravine that stood to my left. I could make it. Fifty more feet…thirty…twenty…I was almost there -but pain erupts throughout my body. I plummet to the ground with a cry.

"I said 'don't,'" she hisses.

The pain was unending this time. I had never felt anything like it. Tears began to fall along with my hope of getting out of this situation.

"Let's not play anymore games. I know you have a certain talent that would be very helpful to me. Come with me."

"Bite me," I hiss between heavy breaths. Her eyes immediately narrow.

"That wasn't a question."

"Bite…Me…" I hiss again before coughing up blood. The pain was beyond bearable and was only increasing with her rage. I was beginning to see spots.

"Quite the annoyance aren't you?" she sighs as she walks closer to my mangled form.

Words seemed impossible at this point. All I could do is writhe in agony. The spots are becoming darker. I cannot handle much more…

"It seems we are out of time. We will have to settle this in my domain," she says while grabbing my arm. Slowly, I hear faint shouting from the distance. Hope resonates within me. I'm going to be saved!

"NO!" I scream. I kick myself away before screaming again as more pain scores my body. Just hold out a little longer…

"Why you-" she begins to say before a blast cuts her off. Another blast follows suit, which she jumps back to avoid. "How unfortunate…" I hear her mumble under her breath. The pain begins to subside since her attention is drawn elsewhere. More blasts erupt throughout the air causing me to cover my face.

'Who is here to save me?'

The thought quickly escapes my mind as I focus on getting as far away as possible. With the last of my strength, I begin to crawl towards the ravine again. I fall to avoid a few blasts of dust, but before long, my hand is gripping the edge of the cliff. A wave of relief floods my mind. As I glance down to see how far the drop is, I hear a shout come from behind me—

"I SAID DON'T!"

Next thing I know, a blast sends me toppling over the edge. I let out a cry in surprise as I begin to feel the air rushing and whipping around my body. As I fall a hear someone…a man…calling out my name-

"-SAFIR!"

I jump awake, causing me to nearly fall from where I was sitting. Groggily, I rub my eyes to see who has called my name.

"Safir! You were having that nightmare again, weren't you?" a girl with bright blonde hair asks. It was Mudan.

"I guess so," I mumble. A yawn escapes my mouth.

"You should really see someone about that…" she continues.

"I'm fine!," I huff, "It will go away eventually."

"I highly doubt that," Belarra adds. I glare at the ewe faunus sitting next to me.

"Can you guys quit it?" I hiss before crossing my arms.

"Okay, okay!" Mudan says, holding up her arms in defense. She smiles as she sits down on the other side of me.

"So how much further do we have to go?" Belarra hums. She tosses a silver dagger in the air before catching it effortlessly. I pull out my scroll to look. I squint as I search the screen for a listed time. Unfortunately, I still wasn't familiar with these things.

"It looks like we should be there in an hour," I say after a moment.

"YAY! I can't wait to explore Vale!" Mudan squeals while waving her arms in the air.

"It's been a while since we've been to a city," Belarra grunts. I nod in agreement.

The three of us hail from a remote village south of Mistral called Amotus. So few know about it that at times it seems almost secretive. Since the village is so far removed, we grew up knowing little about the modern world. Our only concern was defeating the Grimm that surrounded us. Due to this, everyone in our village became extremely adept at hunting. Even the smallest child could hold their own against an Ursa. Some would become so proficient that dust was not needed as long as they had a basic weapon.

"Are you nervous Belarra?" Mudan asks. Belarra sighs before shaking her head.

"No…I'm not nervous…Just annoyed at what's to come. I still can't believe people can be so prejudice against Faunus."

Amotus was ahead of the modern world in that sense. Everyone relied on each other, so Faunus were never excluded.

"Just ignore it Belarra," I say.

"Yeah…or punch them in the face!" Mudan giggles while punching her fist to add emphasis. This earns a laugh from Belarra.

"We're not here to cause trouble you two."

"Oh come on, Safir! You never even told us why we are taking this huge trip! We find you nearly dead –which is crazy to even believe—and once you were coherent, you suddenly announce that you need to leave for Vale. If Belarra and I didn't hold you back, you would've been trying to get to Vale with a broken arm and leg."

"It's…complicated," I sigh. Mudan huffs at my response.

"Can you at least tell us what we need to do in Vale?" Belarra asks as she places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Pleaaaaaaase," Mudan adds.

"Well…I'm looking for someone."

"That's descriptive…" Mudan quips facetiously.

I look out the window to see passing trees. Another sigh escapes my lips as I realize I should be fair to them. They are my best friends.

"That someone is named Qrow. He's the one that saved me. He told me to come here for…safety reasons."

"Qrow?" Mudan and Belarra simultaneously ask. Their faces come closer to mine in curiosity.

"That's a guy's name right?" Mudan asks. Balarra immediately slaps the back of her head.

"She just said 'He!'"

"Oooooh! …Was he cute?" Another slap resonates within the air.

"Belarra!" Mudan cries while rubbing the back of her head. Meanwhile a blush creeps onto my cheeks. Belarra notices.

"Wait, was he cute?" she asks.

"N-No! He's older!" I stutter. I'm definitely not used to this topic.

"How old?" Mudan asks while pressing her face closer.

"30? I didn't exactly ask for his age when I met him."

Mudan grins devilishly. "That's only 5 years older than youuuuu," she hums.

"So?" I question, pushing her face away from mine.

"Stop Mudan. She's just nervous about the subject. She's not interested in him." Belarra says, pausing to double check my expression. I nod in agreement.

"You really need to get a boyfriend…" Mudan giggles. The blush reappears on my face.

"Shut up you flirt!" I hiss as I push her off the seat. She continues to giggle despite lying awkwardly on the cabin floor.

"Five minutes till our arrival in Vale," a calm voice echoes from the speakers.

"Yay! I guess we got here quicker than usual." Mudan cheers, popping up from the floor like a flower in spring.

I stare out the window to watch the approaching city of Vale.


	2. Extra 1: Names

Helloooo everybody! Thank you for reading my first Chapter of ARGENTUM! I should have another chapter out today, but for now, I thought I should write some extra chapters to give some insight about this fanfiction. We haven't delved into the story quite yet, so I'll be brief and talk about the names!

First we have Mudan Zetian!

"Mudan" translates from Chinese to the English word "Peony." I believe this settles the RWBY Color Naming Rule (CNR) considering most people think of pink when they hear "Peony."

Mudan's surname, Zetian, is in reference to Wu Zetian of the Chinese Tang Dynasty.

"Wu Zetian, the only female empress in Chinese history, decided after a dinning party that she wanted to enjoy all of China's flowers. She became aggravated when she discovered that the mudan was the only one unwilling to cooperate.

Drunk as she was, Wu Zetian declared that there should be no mudan in the capital city of Chang. She ordered all the mudan in the city to be transported to Luo Yang, another important city during that time. After the flowers were moved to Luo Yang, she ordered the city's citizens to burn them.

The following spring, as if by magic, the burnt branches blossomed into beautiful flowers, taking Wu Zetian and everyone by surprise. Afterwards, Wu Zetian declared mudan to be the national flower."

I thought this was quite a cool story, so I had to incorporate it somehow!

Next we have Belarra Vasco!

The Basque word "Belarra" translates to "Grass" in English. I believe everyone associates grass with the color green, so again this settles the CNR.

Now you are probably wondering why I chose "Vasco" for Belarra's surname. Basque is derived from the French word Basco which in turn in derived from the Latin word Vasco. Historically, the Vascones (plural) were the ancestors of the Basque. My great Grandfather's first name was Vasco, so I selfishly made a homage to him using Balarra's last name. Pardon there being no fun story behind this one!

Finally, we have Safir Asteria!

"Safir" translates to "Sapphire" from many different languages. At this point it should be self explanatory that this settles the CNR.

Safir's surname Asteria actually has multiple references. In Greek Mythology, Asteria was the Titan goddess of the oracles and prophecies of night, including prophetic dreams, astrology, and necromancy. Stars often represented her. Throughout history, many traveled with large star sapphires, also known as asteria. The asteria were known as the "Stones of Destiny." The three cross bars that patterned it were often linked to Christian mythology's Faith, Hope, and Destiny. These unique talismans were thought to ward off Evil, and act as a guide to travelers, protecting them from illness and bad omens. So strong were asterias believed to be, that the stone's good influence was thought to remain even after it had passed out of the owner's possession.

Again, I'm planning to incorporate these references into this story, so I hope you have fun finding them!

The next extra chapter will be on weapons. I should have that one out after the next chapter. I wish I could attach more photos to these stories (I have a bunch of sketches), but you will have to make do with my descriptions. Well, that's it for now! Happy reading!


	3. Chapter 2

"Do you have red eyes?" Mudan quirps. She sticks her face close to a random civilian's face, making him visibly uncomfortable. "-Nope!" she answers herself before marching off to another Vale citizen.

"Mudan, I don't think we are going to find him that way…" Belarra sighs.

"Well, we have been asking around all day! No one seems to know, so how else would you suggest finding him?" Mudan pouts, placing both hands on her hips. The sun was beginning to set, and the three of you were becoming more worn out and irritated. Growls suddenly erupt from Mudan's stomach.

"I'm hungryyyyy!" she wails, waterfalls flowing from her eyes in frustration.

Belarra sighs before glancing at me. I nod signaling it was time to end this for today.

"Okay, let's go find an inn with hot food and rooms." Belarra says. Mudan's crying stops instantly.

"Yay yay yay yay! I want meat!" she cheers.

"You guys go on ahead. I think I'm going to take a moment to rest here…" I say as I sit down on a nearby bench.

"Are you sure?" Belarra asks. "Yeah, I want to see if I can remember anything else about him." I reply. Belarra raises her eyebrow for a moment, before realizing the true meaning.

"Suit yourself. Just message us through your scroll to find out where we are when you're done."

I nod and wave as the two begin to walk down the street. "HURRY UP, OKAY?" Mudan shouts over her shoulder. Once they disappeared around a corner, I let a sigh escape my lips. I was way over my head with the whole search. I hadn't been to a city in such a long time. The crowds and the endless search had chipped away at my mind to leave only weariness and stress. Now that the sun is setting and the crowds had dispersed into their homes, I could finally have a moment to relax.

As I sat there observing the city block, I watch a girl in a red cape marching along the fountain in the center of the plaza. As she got closer, I could see a collapsed weapon at her side.

"A huntress? She seems fairly young though…" I muse in my mind.

As the girl passes in front of me, a shiver runs down my spine. Without thought, I find myself standing and grabbing the girl's hand. "Hey what are you-" I cut her off as I jerk her to the side. Not even a second later, a crash follows suit.

"OH MY GRIMM!" she shouts, eyes wide along with her mouth. I look up to see a man sticking his head out of window. "Are you okay? I'll be right down!" Within a moment, that same man was standing in front of the girl and I. "I am so sorry! I was careless and knocked a pot down while I was watering my petunias," he cries, concern evident in his voice. "It's okay sir! I wasn't hurt!" the girl consoles. I glance down at the broken pot as he continues to check over the girl. That was a close one.

Once the man assures himself that the girl is unhurt, he returns inside. I look up to find the girl staring intently at me. I inwardly gasp. She has—

"OH MY GRIMM! You saved me! How can I ever thank you? I could've been seriously hurt just then…I could've died? Oh no, I could've died! What would I have done? What would Yang and father do? What would team RWBY do? Weiss would kill me–I mean I would be dead already, but she would summon me and then kill me all over. Wait, she couldn't summon me without killing me. She would find away, but then Penny would be so sad!" the girl says all at once.

As she continues to ramble, my confusion increases. We're all Vale citizens like this?

"Oh no, I never got to thank you. Wait—I never even introduced myself. My name is Ruby Rose! What is yours?" she suddenly asks.

"W-what?" I also ask, caught off guard.

"Your name?" she asks with a bright smile.

"Safir…" I drawl out before I hear her gasp. Did she notice what I also notice?

"WHAT IS THAT WEAPON? I have never seen it before! Can I touch it? How does it work? Did you design it?-" Before I know it, she is rambling again. Another sigh escapes from my mouth. I seem to be sighing a lot today…

"RUBY!" a voice shouts from nearby. I turn to see a silver haired girl stomping toward us.

"Oh, hey Weiss! This is Safir. She-" Ruby begins before the girl named Weiss cuts her off. "Yes, yes, I know. Forget that. We're late for dinner. We need to get back to Beacon Academy! If you hadn't taken so long to fawn over the weapons in that one shop, we would be back by now! Blake and Yang are waiting for us."

Once the girl reaches us, she grabs the hood of Ruby's red cape and starts to drag her with her. "Uhhh…" she chokes out. Bewildered, she makes no effort to resist. Within moments they are both out of sight.

"Well that was…interesting," I mumble.

As I try to process what just happened, a word from the silver haired girl pops into my mind. "Beacon? Now I remember! That's the academy here. Maybe they have a log with all the huntsmen and huntresses. I could possibly find a record of Qrow," I think. With renewed hope, I whip out my scroll and send a message to Belarra and Mudan.

 _Safir: I'm going to take a bit longer. I might have a lead on Qrow._

 _Belarra: Wait, what? We just ordered you food though. Where are you going, and when do you think you'll be back?_

 _Safir: Beacon Academy. I'm going to see if they have a record of Qrow._

 _Belarra: Isn't it too late to go there? Just come back. We'll go there in the morning. Plus your food will be cold._

 _Safir: Just let Mudan have it. If I can't see the records tonight, I'll come back right away._

 _Mudan: YAY! MORE MEAT!_

 _Belarra: Okay…just hurry. Stay safe._

 _Safir: I will._

Once done messaging, I quickly search for a map of Vale to direct me to the academy.

"It looks like it's up at the top of this cliff. Was it that castle-like building I saw from the airship?" I think as I begin to walk in the direction of Beacon.

After thirty minutes or so, I find myself finally reaching the top after climbing a winding path up the side of the cliff. In front of me, a wide avenue stretches towards an impressive statue and doorway. Flag-draped light poles line the street along with a scattering of trees.

As I move forward, I notice a woman with blonde hair and glasses walk towards me with a raised hand.

"Halt! Please show student/employee identification or state reason for visit." she commands.

"I'm here to look at the huntsmen/huntress record log," I reply curtly.

"Unfortunately, students and employees are the only ones who are able to access the alumni logs." My mind draws blank as I hear her answer.

"Wait, shouldn't Vale citizen's have access to it? I'm just trying to locate someone." I stutter.

"Normally, yes, but the headmaster is temporarily restricting access for safety reasons. Who are you trying to locate?"

My eyebrow inadvertently cocks itself. Safety reasons?

"I'm looking for someone named Qrow." I eventually state.

A moment of silence passes between us. During this moment, I notice her eyes observing me beneath her glasses.

"This way," she suddenly says before turning around and walking down the avenue.

I know there is a look of confusion plastered on my face since she turns around to repeat herself.

"I guess she knows where is he?" I think as I begin to follow her. She leads me through the vast doors and into a large amphitheater. We continue past it and pass through another door behind it. Following that, we pass through a series of other doors, which eventually lead to a single gray door.

"Please wait for the headmaster in here," she states, raising her hand to indicate the door I should go through. I nod to show I understand. I walk inside to see a single table and chair. Along the side of the room is a large mirror, which looks like a one-way—

"Damn it!" I curse out loud as the door slams close behind me. I swivel around and immediately try to turn the door handle. Locked…

"I was too naïve," I think as I pace back and forth. I whip out my scroll to see a "no signal' icon in the top right corner of the screen. I guess I wouldn't be able to call Belarra or Mudan for help.

"Calm down, Safir. This is a school. They can't keep me locked up. This is probably just a precaution for those _safety reasons_ ," I reason with myself. I sit in the chair by the table to help calm myself.

I spend the next thirty minutes endlessly staring at the door. Eventually it opens up to a middle-aged man with tousled gray hair and glasses. In one hand he holds a plate of chocolate cookies and in another he holds a hot cup of coffee. He sets the plate down in front of me. I stare down at it skeptically.

"Well, go on. You must be famished. I promise I haven't poisoned it," He says as he gestures at the plate.

He was right. I hadn't noticed how hungry I had become in the past hour. I slowly retrieve a cookie and try it. "So good!" I think. I devour the plate within seconds. A new record in my book. A gregarious smile graces his face as he pulls another chair forward to sit next to me.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"

"My name is Safir Asteria…and you are?" I retort.

"My name is Ozpin. I am the headmaster of this academy. I heard from Glynda that you are trying to find a huntsman named Qrow?" he asks before leaning back and taking a sip of coffee.

"Correct," I answer.

"Well, I'm sure I would be able to find some information about him, but first, where do you hail from?"

I narrow my eyes slightly. They definitely knew who Qrow was, or else Glynda wouldn't have brought me here. -Was he a criminal or something?

"You probably haven't heard of it, but I'm from a small village called Amotus,"

"Oh Amotus! -What a quaint and lovely, little village. I remember stopping by there during a Grimm hunt in my twenties."

"I'm surprised you have heard of it," I genuinely state while shaking my head in disbelief.

"I have traveled plenty," he quips, "Now then, can you tell me how you are acquainted with this huntsman named Qrow?"

"Well, he rescued me…"

"Rescued?" he questions. "Yes, it's a long story, but he left me this note—" I start as I reach into my pocket and pull out a wrinkled piece of parchment. Terrible handwriting graces the front of the paper, but that messy handwriting was the reason I was here. I hand it over to Ozpin with faith that Qrow's words would hold some meaning to the headmaster. He scans over it a few times, before eventually handing it back to me.

"Please accept my apology for our skepticism," he eventually states, "I know you inferred that we know this man. You are correct with that assumption. This man, in fact, is actually working for me currently." My eyes widen as this fact, but relief floods my thoughts.

"So he's here?" I shout in surprise, pushing my chair back as I quickly stand up.

Ozpin frowns and shakes his head. "Unfortunately he is still out of town."

"Oh…" I sigh as I collapse into the seat again.

"Why don't you stay here for the time being? Qrow will eventually return to Vale. As I recall, Amotus trains some amazing huntsmen and huntresses, but there are many other things you can learn from here. I'll let you use the academy for free as long as you explain everything when Qrow returns."

"-You don't think I am a good huntress?" I retort harshly. Ozpin immediately raises his hands in defense.

"Of course not. Recalling the skills of the Amotus people, you probably exceed the average graduate of our academy. I'm sure you are quite adept at killing Grimm."

I feel a frown tug at the corner of my lips.

"I'm actually not…" I admit.

"Pardon?" he asks, gesturing to continue. "You should know that we purely rely on physical strength and our aura since access to dust is limited…" he nods in agreement, "—Don't get me wrong, I'm not weak…but…Grimm have always been…trickier for me." I drawl on.

"Why is that?" Beneath his emotionless expression, I could see a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes.

"I just feel more comfortable facing someone with an aura," I eventually conclude. Ozpin stares attentively which begins to make me feel uncomfortable.

"Silver eyes…it's like deja vu" he mumbles side handedly.

"Pardon?" I ask while scratching my head.

He shakes his head to dismiss the comment, and then opens his mouth to speak again.

"Show me."

"P-Pardon?" I repeat with a stutter.

"Show me right now what you mean," he elaborates. He then turns his head towards the mirror and shouts.

"Glynda!" "Yes, Ozpin?" a voice echoes in response causing me to jump in surprise.

"Please prep a training room for us to use."


End file.
